Fentanyl continues to fuel OD deaths in Massachusetts

THE ISSUE: Increasingly fueled by the drug fentanyl, the rate of fatal opioid overdoses continues to increase in Massachusetts.

THE IMPACT: Statewide, there were 1,933 confirmed opioid-related deaths in 2016, an average of more than five each day.

Gerry Tuoti Wicked Local Newsbank Editor

An average of more than five Massachusetts residents died each day in 2016 from an opioid overdose, with the synthetic drug fentanyl continuing to fuel the addiction crisis.

The Department of Public Health’s most recent quarterly report provides a clearer picture of the nature of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Statewide, there were 1,933 confirmed opioid deaths in 2016, a 16 percent increase over 2015, according to the May 10 report. Heroin was present in approximately 33 percent of the deaths, while fentanyl was present in 77 percent. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Maryanne Frangules, executive director of the nonprofit Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, said it is encouraging to see the state work to craft public policy in an effort to combat the spread of addiction. Allocating resources, collecting data and running awareness campaigns are part of the effort.

“More policymakers are listening, and more families and people in recovery are speaking up,” she said. “There is more treatment available, but it’s not at a point where it’s seamless, continuing care.”

The May 10 report is the first to have 2016 overdose data for each city and town in Massachusetts. In 2016, emergency medical services responded to an opioid-related incident or overdose in 301 of the 351 communities statewide.

The number of fatal overdoses in the state has spiked over the past half-decade. In 2010, there were 560 opioid deaths in Massachusetts, nearly 3.5 times fewer than the 1,933 confirmed deaths last year.

While the rate of fatal overdoses is increasing each year, it is increasing at a smaller rate. In 2014, for example, there was a 40 percent increase from the previous year. There was a 31 percent increase from 2014-15, and a 16 percent increase from 2015-16.

“The data helps us examine how our interventions are working, where we need to strengthen our efforts and commit our resources,” said DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel. “Having fast access to quality data is crucial to improving our public health response efforts both at the local and state levels.”

The state Bureau of Substance Abuse Services is expected to get more than $131 million in funding in fiscal 2018, a $6 million increase over the current budget year. The proposed funding would include investments in new addiction treatment beds, two new recovery centers and additional supplies of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration announced last month that it will use nearly $12 million in federal funding to expand community-based overdose prevention programs and outpatient opioid treatment and recovery programs.

“This enhanced level of data collection is a critical resource to help the administration, public safety officials and health care professionals understand the destructive impact of opioid-related overdoses in every corner of the Commonwealth,” Baker said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor trends and respond through targeted prevention, treatment and recovery services to break the negative momentum of this crisis.”

Frangules said a comprehensive care system is needed to break the crisis. Such a system, she said, would provide addicts with fast access to detoxification, rehabilitation, outpatient and residential treatment, recovery centers and medication-assisted treatment.

“We’re not there yet,” Frangules said. “It’s better than it was, but we still have a long way to go.”